Straight-edge for applying wood shingles and shakes on vertical surfaces

ABSTRACT

A device for use as an automatic guide in laying shingles, shakes, clapboard and the like in parallel rows on the surfaces of various types of housings, buildings and other structures. The device provides means in the form of a shingle guide for laying a large number of courses of shingles without any change other than the shifting of a conveniently movable guide bar. The guide bar is supported upon vertically adjustable hand grips whereby said supporting bar may be raised or lowered relative to a course of shingles previously set, and which when so set will automatically provide an accurate guide for the next superjacent course.

United States Patent [191 1111 3,792,852 Reniker Feb. 19, 1974 [54] STRAIGHT-EDGE FOR APPLYING WOOD 2,243,468 5/1941 Johnson....; 248/237 X SHINGLES AND SHAKES 0N VERTICAL 496,483 5/1893 M111" SURFACES 2,770,271 11/1956 Kane 269/203 X [76] Inventor: Donald K. Reniker, 1830 Childs FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS N. E Salem 0 97303 125,701 8/1949 Sweden 269/91 [22] Filed: 1972 Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr. 2 A No: 232 02 Assistant Examiner-J. T. Zatarga [57] ABSTRACT [52] 269,95 A device for use as an automatic guide in laying shin- I t Cl B23 3/02 3 3/08 gles, shakes, clapboard and the like in parallel rows on [58] I: .ld 269$, 2 89 7,88 1 B. the surfaces of various types of housings, buildings and le 7 f 5 other structures. The device provides means in the Y form of a shingle guide for laying a large number of courses of shingles without any change other than the [56] Referepces Cited shifting of a conveniently movable guide bar. The UNITED STATES PATENTS guide bar is supported upon-vertically adjustable hand 1,031,854 7/1912 Keyes, 7/8.l B grips whereby said supporting bar may be raised or 3,490,152 1/1970 Prim? 269/228 X lowered relative to a course of shingles previously set, 844,612 2/1907 Moms 248/237 X and which when so set will automatically provide an 1 2:2 accurate guide for the next superjacent course. 1,4353698 11/1922 Christensen 248/237 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures 1'7 I a 6 ,-/5 A a a :1, 5

I I 6 I6 J 7 4 1 I 'I I I7 0- I I 1: ll "*"l lm' i i I? ll l J 9 9 v PATENTEB FEB I 91974 STRAIGHT-EDGE FOR APPLYING WOOD SHINGLES AND SHAKES ON VERTICAL SURFACES The principal objects of the invention are:

To provide a new, improved and simplified gauging device to materially assist a workman in the proper spaceing and rapid application of shingles or shakes on a surface. I

To provide a guide orgauge for shingles or shakes that may be rapidly moved from one position to expedite the shingle laying procedure.

To provide a shingle or shake guide of simplified construction consisting of only four parts and designed to speed up the application of shingles or shakes and to maintain true and level lines at the bottom of each course of shingles or shakes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and easily manufactured and manipulatory device for the purposes above mentioned and for applying the shingles or shakes in a manner whereby a marginal portion of one unit thereof will overlie and thus effectively cover and conceal the fastening element of an adjacent unit and by doing so present a desirable appearance of the depth and thickness of exposure further enhanced by a shadow line along the bottom of each course.

For convenience and brevity in describing the components dealt with by the invention, the term shingle or shingles may be used to identify shingles, shakes, clapboard, which may be made of wood, laminated wood, chipboard, Flakewood, Hardboard, metal, or any other suitable material.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing form a part hereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device made in accordance with my invention and wherein any number of the devices, which are identical, may be interconnected in spaced relation to each other by means of a shingle-support of angle section of any desired length. Each device has the characteristic of a hand grip engagable at its bottom end with the bottom edge of a starting row of shingles or that of any row already laid and adjustable vertically to receive and support a superjacent row of shingles being appleid.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of FIG. 1 on a reduced scale, and

FlG. 3 is a similar view ofa modified form of the invention.

Referring now, more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals indicate like parts and particularly F l0. 1 and 2 thereof numeral 1 indicates generally the first or bottom row or course of pre set shingles and 2 a superimposed course being applied to the first course with both courses secured to a wall as indicated by the vertical broken line in FIG. 2.

The components of the invention comprise two or more identical units indicated generally at 3. Each unit is in the form of a hand grip comprising a vertical portion 6 bend forwardly at its bottom end as at 7, downwardly as at 8,-forwardly again as at 9 and finally upward as at 10 to form a hook for engagement with the bottom edge 12 of the starting row or with the bottom edge of superjacent rows of shingles 1. The top end of the handle portion 6 is also bent inwardly at 13 then downwardly as at 14 and 'thereat provided with a bolt 15 and a wing nut 16. The bolt extends through a slot 17 extending downwardly substantially throughout the length of a hanger 18. The top end of hanger l8 bent outwardly as at 19 and upwardly as at 20 for either permanent or adjustable securement to a bar 21 of angle section and whose bottom flange 22 provides a straightedge for supporting a second or superimposed series of shingles indicated at 2.

The hanger 18 may be provided with a series of apertures (not shown) as a substitute for the slot 17 which would permit of more minute increments of bolt and hand grip adjustment.

The shingles in the starting row 1 as well as those indicated at 2 in the second or in any superimposed rows are nailed as at 23 and 24 respectively to a wall or other vertical supporting surface.

The counterpart 10 A differs from part 10 in'FlG. 2 by being bend inwardly a second time as at 30 then upwardly as at 31 to provide step-like shelves for supporting the bottom edges of overlapping double shingles 32-33 to provide a more conspicuous shadow line by the bottom edge of shingle 32 extending downwardly from the bottom edge of shingle 33.

The top end of hanger 18A is bent inwardly as shown I to provide two steps or shoulders 34 and 35 to serve the same purpose as the parts 9A and 30 respectively, at the bottom end of the hanger.

What I claim is: l. A guide for laying shingles and the like, comprising at least two identical shingle-engaging units,

each of said units comprising in combination a handle having top and bottom ends, the bottom end of said handle of each unit bent horizontally, then downwardly and upwardly into a hook member for slipped-under engagement with the bottom of a preset shingle, the top end of said handle bent toward the exposed surface of a shingle in its respective row and bent downwardly at its inner end, a vertically disposed hanger bearing against said shinsaid hanger having a top end bent outwardly and upwardly, guide means of angle section supported by said outwardly and upwardly top end of said vertically disposed hanger of a series of said shingle-engaging units to provide a true and level. line at thebottom of each course of shingles being applied to a wall, said hanger and said downwardly bent top of end of said handle having aligned openings therethrough, and locking means extending through said openings for locking said handle in selective positions relative to said hanger. 

1. A guide for laying shingles and the like, comprising at least two identical shingle-engaging units, each of said units comprising in combination a handle having top and bottom ends, the bottom end of said handle of each unit bent horizontally, then downwardly and upwardly into a hook member for slippedunder engagement with the bottom of a preset shingle, the top end of said handle bent toward the exposed surface of a shingle in its respective row and bent downwardly at its inner end, a vertically disposed hanger bearing against said shingle, said hanger having a top end bent outwardly and upwardly, guide means of angle section supported by said outwardly and upwardly top end of said vertically disposed hanger of a series of said shingle-engaging units to provide a true and level line at the bottom of each course of shingles being applied to a wall, said hanger and said downwardly bent top of end of said handle having aligned openings therethrough, and locking means extending through said openings for locking said handle in selective positions relative to said hanger. 